


Lovely

by AMidnightDreary



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Late Night Conversations, Love Confessions, M/M, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 04:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19349293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMidnightDreary/pseuds/AMidnightDreary
Summary: It's the middle of the night, and Tony realizes something.





	Lovely

**Author's Note:**

> I was sad, so I wrote this. Enjoy!

The realization dawns on him in the middle of the night. Actually, _dawning on him_ isn't quite right; that sounds too soft and quiet and lovely, and this isn't lovely. It should be, Tony thinks - he thinks that it's supposed to be the loveliest thing in the world. And maybe it is, or could be, but right now the realization is _crashing down on him_ and swallowing him down. It catches him off-guard, like when you're in the sea and walking back to shore and you don't notice that there's a wave behind you that will sweep you off your feet, even though it's _obvious._ You're in the sea, after all, of course there are waves, and of course they're going to sweep you off your feet if you don't keep an eye on them. Tony didn't keep an eye on them, and right now he's trapped in those seconds when you can't tell up and down apart anymore as you try to get your feet back on solid ground.

Tony is huddled up in one corner of the sofa. It's cold, but he's got a blanket, and even though his back and neck are hurting because he fell asleep on the sofa, he wants to be comfortable. Everything about this _demands_ him to be comfortable - there's him, wrapped up in that blanket, still drowsy, half asleep, and there's the tv and some kind of late night show that's funny  and groan-worthy and _comfortable_ , and there's Loki. Loki who is lying on the sofa, too, with a blanket of his own and long legs stretched out, bare feet and bony ankles resting in Tony's lap. He's awake, his head on the armrest, elbows propped up because his hands are doing _something_ in the air above his face. Green and golden images flicker up and die out again, magic flowing out of Loki's fingertips like fireflies. Tony sits there and stares, and the water feels deeper than it really is.

He stares at the content glow of Loki's half-lidded eyes and his long fingers, at the smile tugging at his lips and his goddamn tousled hair. It's a quiet moment and Loki hasn't yet noticed that he is being watched, he's unguarded and tired and _comfortable_ and just about the most beautiful thing Tony has ever seen. The realization isn't yet done with crashing down on him, it demands more attention - it wants his world to be reduced to only this, to the blankets and the pajamas they're wearing and the darkness of the room, to Loki's firefly-magic and his smile. And Tony's world obeys, because there's nothing else it can do when confronted with something like this. There _is_ nothing but this, for a rather long while. Seconds, minutes stretch by and Tony's just sitting there, trying to come to terms with the fact that he is, apparently, in love.

Because that's what this is, right? It must be.

Tony doesn't manage to yank his eyes away from Loki. He's wide awake all of a sudden, not at all drowsy anymore, instead hyper aware of anything - the room seems to be closing in around him and the sounds of the tv become eerie and distant, and there's a feeling in Tony's chest that doesn't want to go away again. Maybe it's claustrophobia or just plain old anxiety, maybe he's panicking, maybe -

But then Loki catches his eyes and smiles, smiles at _him_ now, and everything tips. The room softens, the darkness loses its edges, Loki _smiles._ Tony's throat tightens and he doesn't know why - he's tired, that's probably it, tired and maybe a tiny bit sentimental; realizing things like this just a few minutes after midnight will do that to you.

"Are you alright?" Loki asks, voice sleep-soft in a way that makes Tony wonder how long Loki's been awake.

"Yeah," Tony says and blames the roughness of his voice on tiredness, too. "What - what are you doing there?"

"Oh," Loki says, his magic still dancing above him, "nothing much. I was bored."

"It's lovely," Tony manages, and it _is._

Something about his tone makes Loki frown. With a wave of his hand, his magic disappears, and he carefully sits up. "Anthony?"

"Hm?"

"Are you sure you're fine?"

"Yes." Tony knew that his eyes were wide as they flickered over Loki's face, but he couldn't _unwiden_ them, he couldn't - "Loki," he said, "do you - you are -"

He doesn't come up with a good ending for the sentence, and Loki blinks. "Yes?"

And there's an ending, suddenly. "You're just - perfect, you know."

Loki blinks again. "Pardon?"

"I said -"

"I heard what you said," Loki says and makes a sound that could be either a huff or a laugh, Tony isn't sure. "I merely don't understand _why_ you would -"

"Because you _are._ "

"Anthony," Loki says. "I assure you that I am _not_ perfect, but please don't tell anyone that I said that. I appreciate the sentiment, though."

His tone is very soft and fond, just like the look in his eyes, and Tony cannot deal with that. He just can't. How do people do things like this? How do people _survive_ things like this?

"You don't get what I'm saying," he says weakly.

Loki moves to sit cross-legged now, leaning forward just a little. Runs a hand through his still tousled hair, keeps the glint in his eyes even though he still seems a bit worried.

"Explain it to me," he says, no, _asks_ , and he just _is_ \- he is.

Perfect, Tony thinks, but that's such a ridiculous thing to say, and Tony wishes he hadn't. But they're here now, and this is the point where Loki usually stands up and retreats to his own floor, and Tony can't let that happen now, absolutely not. He doesn't want this to end, which makes no sense, because they'll be here again in a few days, anyway. They often do movie nights. Or maybe they will be in Tony's workshop or go out for dinner, maybe Tony will take Loki shopping, maybe they'll make dry comments about art in a museum or see a broadway show - whatever they'll do, they will see each other again, spend time with each other again, there _will be other moments like this_.

But that's not true, not quite.

"It's because-" Tony begins, then has to swallow because his voice is a little rough - hell, he _is_ tired. "Because you stayed just now, even though I was asleep and you were bored. It's because you _always_ stay, with me, because I just have to ask and you - and you don't seem to mind."

Loki sits up a little straighter, moves a little closer, definitely worried now. "Of course I don't mind."

"That's why I said it," Tony says, "and it's true it is, you _are_ \- I think you don't know. I just realized, and you -"

He falters, because he doesn't know how to put it into words. Oh, he _does_ know which words to use, but that doesn't make saying them any easier. He doesn't know what Loki will do, what Loki will _say_. But Tony started this and he can't just unstart it now, he has to follow through with it, so he says -

"You mean so much to me," he says, directing the words at the blanket that's still covering his lap. It doesn't say anything in response, of course, and for a too long moment, Loki doesn't either.

"Anthony," he says then, his tone even softer, and Tony _still_ can't deal with that.

He manages a grin, and he looks at Loki and throws that grin at him, knowing for a fact that Loki won't be fooled by it, not even for a second.

"Look, I know I'm a mess sometimes and that this is - that you think I'm insane right now, probably, but I - I _mean_ it. I mean it."

Loki shifts again, coming to kneel in front of Tony now. "I do think you're insane," he says, "but I also think that is one of your best qualities."

Tony forgot how to breathe and can't possibly muster a reply right now; why are they so close all of a sudden? Does Loki have to lean in that much? Do Tony's hands have to grasp Loki's shirt to pull him even closer? That makes it hard to _think._

"You still don't get what I'm saying," Tony says, even weaker now.

The green of Loki's eyes is dim now, because someone - either Loki, magically, or JARVIS - switched off the tv and so it's rather dark in here, making it hard to see a thing. Tony does see Loki's smile, though.

"I do," Loki  says softly. "And you mean very much to me, too." His hands come up to Tony's neck, then settle down to cup his jaw. "Everything, in fact."

"Oh," Tony breathes, and Loki breathes back a quiet laugh.

Tony's world gets smaller once more. There's only Loki's eyes now and his smiling mouth, so close, and Tony's hands in his shirt. One of them makes the last bit of air between them vanish, then, pressing their lips together, but later, Tony will not be able to say who it was.

"I'm saying," Tony whispers when they break apart again, wondering if such a brief and chaste kiss has ever left him this breathless, "that I'm in love with you."

And, wonder of wonders, Loki says, "And I'm in love with you," and kisses him again.

Ah. That's it, then. Lovely indeed.


End file.
